1 ¶ And Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar.

2 A nd Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

3 ¶ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, Behold, thou art a dead man, for the woman whom thou hast taken, for she is a man’s wife.

4 B ut Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous person?

5 D id he not say unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother; in the simplicity of my heart and cleanness of my hands I have done this.

6 A nd God said unto him in a dream, Yes, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me; therefore I did not allow thee to touch her.

7 N ow therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.

8 ¶ Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his slaves and told all these things in their ears; and the men feared greatly.

9 T hen Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us and in what have I sinned against thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom such a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 A nd Abimelech said unto Abraham, What didst thou see that thou hast done this thing?

11 A nd Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

12 A nd yet indeed, she is also my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 A nd it came to pass when God caused me to wander from my father’s house that I said unto her, This is the mercy which thou shalt show unto me: at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 ¶ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and menslaves and womenslaves and gave them unto Abraham and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 A nd Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee; dwell where it pleases thee.

16 A nd unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that were with thee and with everyone: thus she was reproved.

17 S o Abraham prayed unto God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children.

18 F or the LORD had completely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.